TORONTO – Vince Carter is returning to the scene of his best game this season.
To face the team that also forced him into the worst game of his life.
Carter erased some stench from his wretched 0-of-13 shooting against the Raptors three days ago with a Vin-sanity-type of effort in Chicago on Saturday, when he scored 39 points in the Nets’ 113-104 loss.
Those 39 points tied his season high. Which he first got here, Nov. 21.
See how all this stuff ties together? The game here last month, a 129-127 overtime thriller, was Classic Channel worthy. Carter would love to duplicate it against the Raptors tonight, when the Nets look to break a three-game losing streak.
Carter, before a terribly hostile crowd in his former home arena on Nov. 21, tied the game at the end of regulation with a 3-pointer from just inside the Arctic Circle. He then won it in overtime with a reverse dunk off a perfect side-inbounds lob from Bobby Simmons at :01.9.
“I hit a tough shot to put us into overtime, and it just gave us some confidence,” recalled Carter. “It kind of carried us over.”
After rallying from 18 down to beat Toronto, the Nets came home, beat the Clippers, then forged a 3-1 western road trip that included a couple of more Houdini escapes (Sacramento, Phoenix). The Toronto game propelled them.
“I remember the crowd booing every time he touched the ball at the beginning of the game, and I remember the dead silence in the second half when he touched the ball,” said Keyon Dooling.
It’s hard to forget how Carter, a 23.3 career scorer for the Nets against his old team, lifted the Nets that night.
“He’s incredible every time I watch him,” said Devin Harris. “I [hadn’t] seen that in person. I’ve seen it on films and highlights. I’ve seen him hit a shot against Toronto when [Jason] Kidd flipped it back. He hit from about 40 feet.”
On Friday, you asked what the fuss was about. Carter never was worse. Twice in his career he failed to register a field goal – but each time he was injured. In one game he played three minutes, in another, four. So he scored three FT points. He recovered in Chicago, exploding for 39 points with dunks, 14-of-14 at the line, jumpers – and a halfcourt heave at the halftime buzzer.
“He practices that shot,” Simmons said.
“It wasn’t about me,” insisted Carter. “It was about us trying to get a win. We didn’t have a great night [Friday]. We didn’t finish it off [in Chicago, blowing 15-point lead], but it was a lot better effort.”